I was born in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and lived there for most of my life until coming to Cornell. As a kid, I spent my time reading mystery novels, building with legos and learning about world history. My role models included detective Nancy Drew and scientist Bill Nye (a Cornell graduate!).

     My early interest in plants stemmed from their taxonomy. Since their arrival on land 700 million years ago to the explosive diversification of angiosperms to the agricultural revolution, plants have been constantly adapting and improving, not unlike the way human civilizations (over a shorter time period) have.

     As I've grown and developed a more accurate comprehension of what it means to be a scientist, my broad interest in plants has specified to a deeper love of molecular biology. I currently work as an undergraduate research assistant at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in the Martin Lab, where we study the molecular interactions between the pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and tomato plants. My personal research interests now center on applying biochemistry, genetics, and physics to the understanding of plant cell mechanics on a molecular level. I hope to attend graduate school and one day work for a research university, national laboratory or the USDA. 

     My decision to attend Cornell was primarily due to the plethora of world-class research labs. I also appreciated the beautiful campus and natural, small town location. One unique thing about me is that I took a break from school last year to work and backpack in Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand. During this time I scuba dived in the Great Barrier Reef, hiked through snow covered alps and went stargazing in the oldest rainforest in the world. I made many great friends and memories and was able to develop a stronger understanding of who I am and what I want, which is to use critical thinking to make new discoveries in science.